Annual Report 2013/14 and Mid-Term Development Plan
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Annual Report 2013/14 and Mid-Term Development Plan Current as of 19 September 2014 1 Table of Contents FROM THE DIRECTOR 4 1. OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK 6 2. ORGANISATION AND FINANCING 7 3. ACTIVITIES IN 2013-2014 8 3.1. Teaching 8 3.1.1. Lectures and seminars 8 3.1.2. Teaching in continuing education programmes and summer/ winter schools 10 3.1.3. Diploma theses 11 3.1.4. Conclusion 11 3.2. Programmes 11 3.2.1. Overview of REEES programmes and project activities 11 3.2.2. Projects completed in 2013-14 12 3.2.2.1. MOVE 12 3.2.2.2. EULISC and EULINC 14 3.2.3. Projects ongoing 16 3.2.3.1. ELEVATE 16 3.2.3.2. EMPOWER 18 3.2.3.3. INSPIRE 19 3.3. Publications 21 3.3.1. Monographs and conference proceedings 21 3.3.2. REEES Working Paper Series 22 3.3.3. Journals 23 3.3.3.1. Review of Central and East European Law 23 2 3.3.3.2. Wider Europe Journal of Law & Politics 24 3.4. Grant applications 24 3.5. Student and staff mobility 25 3.6. Participation of REEES staff in meetings and conferences 26 3.7. Outreach / “Science to Public” 28 4. MID-TERM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 29 4.1. Grant applications 29 4.1.1. Horizon 2020 29 4.1.2. Erasmus+ 29 4.1.3. ERA.Net RUS Plus 30 4.2. Outreach 30 4.2.1. Association for European Studies for the Caucasus 30 4.2.2. Review of Central and East European Law 32 5. ANNEXES ANNEX 1: Founding Declaration ANNEX 2: Statute of the Advisory Board ANNEX 3: Table of contents “Moving Beyond ‘Kosovo’” ANNEX 4: Invitation to join CASCADE research network ANNEX 5: Flyer Winter School EULINC 2014 ANNEX 6: Flyer Summer School EULISC 2014 3 FROM THE DIRECTOR It is appropriate to consider autumn 2014 as a kind of turning-point in the institutional history of REEES. It has been only one year that the Centre is working with a Director holding a full-time posi- tion. By November 2014, the evaluation of the Centre will start, and only based on its results will the Rectorate decide on the Centre’s future. So the final year ahead is fraught with uncertainty regarding long-term projects, but also in a more general sense due to the changing geo-political framework and the prospects for developing existing partnerships further. The study of “East European Law” used to be a product of the era of the Cold War. As the crisis in Ukraine has increased international tensions, a more nuanced approach to studying “the East” is necessary. REEES has been among the first research institutions to recognize Eurasian integration as an independent field of study. It has also cultivated interdisciplinary approaches to Russia including the North Caucasus, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. Nowhere is Russia a monolithic actor, and even the Eurasian Economic Union that will enter into effect by 1 January 2015 is characterised more by fissures and fault lines than by the kind of inter-presidentialism promised by the Kremlin. It seems that the agenda for critical research into Russia and Eurasia has been constantly growing. Cross-cutting issues such as religion, gender, security and minorities offer a rich perspective; among the many established players in Europe with a strong background in social sciences, the legal exper- tise offered by REEES is much appreciated. In particular, REEES is currently asked to become a part- ner in a number of Horizon 2020 projects, and it is also increasingly asked to provide briefings and expert advice for various political players. As for the future, this annual report contains a mid-term development plan that is in line with the Agreement on Goals and Deliverables (Ziel- und Leistungsvereinbarungen) concluded on 10th Febru- ary 2014 with the Dean’s Office and covering the period until the end of 2015. For a bolder vision, REEES is currently engaging with the Centre for EU-Russia Studies of the University of Tartu (CEURUS) as well with the Uppsala Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies of the University of Uppsala (UCRS) to form a network of research centres. In parallel, REEES is building connections to some of the lead- ing U.S. players, such as the Centre of Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies of Georgetown University (CERES) which also oversees Turkish Studies at Georgetown University. At the University of Graz, it was also decided to enhance Turkish Studies, but in the framework of the Centre for South- east European Studies. Traditionally, at the end of these introductory words my thanks go out to Dean Prof. Josef Marko and his committed team, especially to Dr. Doris Vones-Faschalleg. It may seem trite, but there is no bet- ter way of saying it than by repeating the words from last year’s annual report: “Their inventiveness and untiring hard work has made many things possible that otherwise would have been unthinka- 4 ble.” We also thank our friends and colleagues who contribute to the 270+ members of the REEES Facebook group and the many friends from Grodno to Vladivostok. Graz, September 2014 Thomas Krüßmann, Director 5 1. OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK The Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies Centre (REEES) at the Law Faculty of the University of Graz complements the long-standing regional focus of the University of Graz towards South-Eastern Europe. It was created to adopt a regional approach and realize projects with regard to Russia, the South Caucasus and Central Asia (the “target areas”). Its objective is to act as a catalyst in defining an international and intercultural research agenda with a view to fostering linkages between academic research and policy-oriented practical interventions. Its initial task was to optimise existing potentials for research programmes and project expertise within the Law Faculty of the University of Graz related to the target areas, to be followed by com- prehensive inter-disciplinary research programmes both within the University of Graz and with aca- demic partners, government and non-government organisations as well as other stakeholders in the target areas. The vision of REEES is to transcend the boundaries of doctrinal scholarship and to rise to the com- plexity of social and cultural relations that form the background against which law operates. It, there- fore, adopts a holistic approach to law, in particular with regard to the intercultural dimensions of collaborative work with a broad variety of players from the target areas. REEES manages its work at an advanced scientific level in research, education and training. The activi- ties are carried out in the form of programmes and projects. REEES promotes the transfer of knowledge by disseminating its research results to intergovernmental and governmental institutions or agencies that are responsible for implementing co-operation strategies domestically and / or in- ternationally. As for the geographical target areas of REEES, the specific country-approach may vary, but apart from bilateral issues as defined from the perspective of the Republic of Austria, regional approaches in line with the relevant EU strategies are given preference. The definition of target areas does not preclude that activities cover neighbouring countries (such as Afghanistan, Iran, and others) and the relevant regions in a wider context (e.g. Middle East) as well. In addition to its regional focus, REEES seeks to strengthen its ties with the United Nations (in par- ticular UNIDO, UNODC and UN Women) and the EU as well as with other intergovernmental organi- sations such as the Council of Europe, OECD, OSCE, IOM and IACA, and a variety of non-governmental organisations. 6 2. ORGANISATION AND FINANCING REEES is a Faculty Centre under § 15 of the organisation plan of the University of Graz. It is chaired by a Director. According to its founding declaration, its staff includes programme officers and secretarial support. Depending on external funding there are prae-doc as well as post-doc researchers working on individual projects. The core staff of REEES during the reporting period was as follows: Director (full-time) Thomas Krüßmann, Prof. Dr., LL.M. Senior Researcher (full-time) Benedikt Harzl, Mag. iur., M.A. Junior Researcher (part-time) Zurab Simonishvili, Mag. iur. (until December 2013) Ani Harutyunyan, B.A., M.A. (from January 2014 onward) Office Manager (part-time) Elena Scharbanov, Mag. phil. Programme Officers none An important part of the REEES operations lies with student assistants and interns. They are the “ambassadors” and the face of REEES, and they help to connect it to their home countries. In this respect Alsu Garaeva (Tatarstan / Russian Federation) and Meerim Aidarova (Kyrgyzstan) formed an integral part of the entire team. In 2013/14 the student team was supported by Aray Kurmangaly, Akmor Ualiyeva (both from Kazakhstan) and Sara Hierzer (Austria) as interns. The Advisory Board of REEES serves as an important link with the United Nations and various other international and non-governmental organisations. Currently, all members of the Advisory Board are appointed by the Rector of the University of Graz for a period of five years. For the term beginning on 5 November 2012 the composition of the Board is as follows: Dr. iur. habil. Slawomir Redo (Poland), formerly UN Senior Crime Prevention and Criminal Jus- tice Expert (chairperson); Mr. Michael Platzer (USA), Liaision Officer of the Academic Council of the United Nations Sys- tem and Chair Vienna NGO Alliance for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice; Mr. Walter Kemp (Canada), Director for Europe and Central Asia, International Peace Insti- tute; Mr. Dejan Keserović (Serbia), IOM Coordinator for Central Asia - Chief of Mission in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.